Jorge Martin Confirms Aprilia Stay for 2026, Ends Contract Dispute

MotoGP world champion Jorge Martin reverses decision to leave Aprilia, citing strong team performance and personal growth following injury layoff.

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Reigning MotoGP world champion Jorge Martin has confirmed he will remain with Aprilia for the 2026 season, ending months of tension and legal wrangling over an exit clause in his contract. 

Martin, who made a high-profile switch to Aprilia after clinching the 2024 championship with Pramac Ducati, previously claimed he had activated a performance-related clause that would allow him to depart at the end of the current season. 

However, in a dramatic press conference held on Thursday at Brno, ahead of just his second race appearance of 2025, the Spaniard confirmed he will honour his full two-year agreement with the Italian factory. 

“I’m happy to be here… and happy to say that I will continue at Aprilia for 2026,” said Martin. “After the injuries, I had many doubts about everything—my future, my body, my career. I thought about activating the clause to move elsewhere, but Aprilia denied both options. They fought for their rights, which I respect.” 

Martin admitted the decision wasn’t easy, especially following the setbacks he faced after suffering multiple serious injuries in Qatar, which sidelined him for most of the season. Despite initially pushing to exit the team, he has now chosen to recommit and rebuild. 

“I could have continued this fight, but life is about decisions and I’ve decided to stay. I believe we have great potential together,” Martin explained. 

One factor in his U-turn was the stellar form of teammate Marco Bezzecchi, who claimed victory at Silverstone and has been a regular podium finisher, helping push Aprilia to second in the constructors’ standings behind Ducati.

“Marco and Aprilia are doing a fantastic job. I’m not an idiot, I see that,” Martin joked. “We can win together.”

Martin also revealed that Honda was an option for 2026, though not the only one, and added that while his relationship with Aprilia had been tested, it remains intact.

“Relationships are like roller-coasters. We had a big fight, but now is the time to build and win. I don’t regret anything. I did what I thought was right for me. But I can definitely say thank you for the work they’ve done and maybe one day, if we win, I’ll thank Massimo for keeping me here!”

The contract saga, which dragged on for several months, centred around a performance clause that Martin’s camp believed was triggered after his disrupted early season. However, Aprilia CEO Massimo Rivola remained adamant that Martin was under contract, warning that Aprilia was ready to take legal action to retain their rider.

“There are only two options: we find an agreement or go to court,” Rivola said in June. “But keeping Martin was always our priority.”

After a three-month recovery period, Martin returned to action in a private MotoGP test at Misano last week, followed by a visibly warmer relationship between rider and team. A team photo with senior management and positive remarks from both sides sparked speculation, later confirmed by Martin’s announcement at Brno.

“I feel physically better than ever,” Martin said on Thursday. “I’ve missed a lot of track time on the RS-GP, but I’ve used this downtime to work on my body and mind. The Misano test showed me how far the bike has progressed since Qatar. Congratulations to Marco and the whole Aprilia team.”

The 27-year-old will now look to restart his 2025 campaign at Brno, a venue returning to the calendar for the first time since 2020. It’s also a track where Martin has fond memories, having taken his first grand prix podium there in the 2016 Moto3 race.

As Aprilia and Martin put an end to their contractual dispute, the focus shifted back to performance, where both rider and team now shared a clear mission: to win again, together.